


Vorteil

by langmaor



Series: skillmates [2]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: Communist Propaganda, Gen, Video Game Mechanics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-27
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-12-20 16:07:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11924424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/langmaor/pseuds/langmaor
Summary: It really was laughable. To think the place he'd come to die at would be where he'd gain new resolve.





	Vorteil

**Author's Note:**

> a companion piece to my other piece involving the fortune skillmates, meg and caineghis, is this one, with the vantage skillmates, mia and naesala! both of them come with innate vantage, so here's a fic showing them hanging out! vorteil is the german localized name for vantage.
> 
> also, mild spoilers for part v of radiant dawn.

Mia cradled three energy drops in her arms, swallowing her fear and putting one foot in front of the other. If she broke even one of these... Soren would have more than just her head. A mere twenty steps had never seemed more daunting...

Twelve... thirteen... fourt-

"No!"

Mia dived down, catching the freefalling object in between her fingers. That had been close. Way too close. In fact, she could almost feel Soren's murderous gaze on her right at this moment...

"It's painful watching you. Here, give me those."

The voice was a familiar nasty tone, and Mia straightened herself, meeting the eyes of the one and only raven king, Naesala.

"Naesala! Just the person I was looking for!"

Naesala plucked the three energy drops from their precarious positions, gazing down at her disdainfully, a question in his eyes. Mia only grinned wider.

"Go ahead, those are for you!"

"What?"

Naesala's face slowly twisted into a grimace. Suddenly he regretted stepping up to help the swordswoman. Both of them knew just how nasty those abominable potions tasted, even if their benefits were... quite desirable and even if... he was a little on the scrawny side...

Mia's grin was nearly demonic in nature now, as she stepped closer with an expectant face.

"Well? Aren't you going to drink it?"

Naesala averted his eyes, trying his hardest to keep up his poker face. Was she pulling his leg? Those things needed at least a solid forty minutes of mental preparation to drink!

"After a bit. These are best if you, well, drink them right before a battle, didn't you know?"

"Riiight," Mia nodded. "So, want to hang with me? I'm going to be cleaning my sword."

"Actually, I was going to-"

"Just cleaning my sword... all alone... like a lonely person..."

"R-Right. I suppose I don't have anything better to do..."

"Okay then!" Mia beamed at him.

They took a seat at the foot of the stairs that seemed to go on forever. Everybody else was a little ways off, similarly catching their breaths, maintaining their weapons, and simply making sure they didn't leave any regrets behind. Naesala always kept his distance from the others, and they reciprocated. With only one notable exception...

"Hey, which one do you think I should use for the next battle?"

Mia had laid two blades out on the floor in front of them, one a long blade that gave off a holy aura, and the second a shorter, curved one that seemed to glow.

"Does it really matter?" Naesala replied, looking the other way. Humans - uh, beorcs and their stupid need to arm themselves with all manner of metals. A real fighter would simply need their own talons, and nothing more.

"Of course it does! Look, this one can attack from a distance, but this one's quite a bit stronger... Hm..."

She continued explaining the features of each blade in detail, but somewhere along the way Naesala had tuned her out, lost in his own thoughts until one line of hers stood out to him.

"So, aren't you glad that whole business with the blood pact is over now? Must have been a real headache, yeah?"

He couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed with joy at the realization that no, that had not been a dream, and that Kilvas and he were both finally, and permanently free of the blood pact. How many previous kings had quietly died, unable to break free of it... the thought made him shudder.

"That's... quite the understatement," he replied.

Mia laughed. "But hey, it's all about the future, right? I can't wait to see what you do with your country when we get back."

Heavens, he hadn't even begun to consider that. He had just assumed he would get his freedom and die in the process. Rather morbid, but if that wasn't him...

"Huh. What do you think I could do?"

Mia's brow furrowed as she answered.

"Well, isn't it your country? You'll think of something," she dismissed.

"Indeed. But let's just say, for a second, that you were in my shoes. What would you do?"

Two could play at this game, and Naesala wasn't about to lose.

"Hm... that's a tough one. Maybe you could start by hiring me to teach everyone the way of the sword."

Naesala stared at her.

Stared at her some more.

...Still staring at her.

"...You have such a one-track mind, it's..."

Mia burst out laughing.

"Jokes aside, though, why don't you just ask them what they want?"

"Eh?"

"I mean, it can't be that hard. Just ask your... underlings or whatever."

"I see," Naesala pondered. He hadn't bothered to address his people more than was necessary since his coronation, since ultimately it wouldn't have mattered. But with the threat of the blood pact off the table, now he could... In fact, he would have to change the way he ruled entirely. And there wasn't any guarantee he'd be accepted, either. There had been more than a few discontent at his appointment as king.

He wasn't looking forward to getting out of this tower...

Naesala belatedly realized he must have been making a face, because Mia was staring at him intently.

"You know what," Mia began, and immediately he knew, knew in his very _bones_ that nothing good could come out of the glint in her eyes, "we can just do that right now! Hold on a second!"

She ran off before he could stop her, and he was left watching as she ran top speed into a group of people. He heaved a sigh, and returned to contemplating more serious matters.

If, as Tibarn had proposed, he agreed to join Kilvas and Phoenicis into one unified nation, a portion of the burden would be lifted off his head, he supposed. He didn't have any intention of continuing ruling if someone like Tibarn was offering to. But he also knew the very same Tibarn wouldn't let him cede completely; he'd still be in a position of about the same responsibility, if for no other reason then simply to avoid giving Tibarn the impression that he was running away.

Naesala supposed it really was best to consult the people as to what they wanted. Up until now Nealuchi had done a fine job advising him of the condition of the general public, but he couldn't continue indefinitely.

In the time these thoughts ran through his mind, Mia had taken a woman by the hand and was currently dragging her along in what, the king of Kilvas suspected, was his very own direction.

"Naesala! Let's ask her!" Mia declared, very pleased with herself.

Caught like a deer in headlights and clearly out of her element, Vika blinked.

Well, this was awkward. Naesala brought his hand to his face.

"If you won't then I will," Mia huffed, dropping down to sit in her previous position while gesturing for the other woman to do the same.

"Vika!" Mia said.

"Y-Yes!" Vika replied. It was like watching a new recruit on roll call.

"What would you like Kilvas to become after the war?"

"Well, I haven't been to Kilvas, actually..." Vika said, throwing her hands out in front of her.

Mia stared.

And stared...

And stared some more.

"Wh-what?" Vika bristled. "I was born into slavery. My parents died while they were still slaves... and I was only rescued by the Emancipation a few years ago. I have never seen Kilvas, nor can I read or speak its language."

Naesala remembered it well. When he was barely even a chick, a rumour about Kilvas being cursed had spread like wildfire right in a midst of what was said to be a plague, and quite a few of the remaining ravens had chosen to flee the cursed nation, only to find themselves enslaved.

"No, your views as a fellow raven who has never been to Kilvas are just as important," Naesala found himself saying, taking over the conversation, "Let's think of it this way: if you heard about a safe haven for other ravens, just like yourself, what sort of a place would you like it to be?"

From his peripheral vision, he could see Mia bringing out her demonic grin and raising her thumb at him in some strange beorc gesture as she left them alone.

"Uh, when you put it like that..." Vika rubbed her chin. "Well, I think I'd like it to be a warm place. Where we help each other out..."

"I... see," Naesala replied. He didn't. "Can you elaborate on that?"

"You know how sometimes, if you don't have enough money, you have to steal things like food and clothes? I don't want any of that. And sometimes, if you can't work, you don't get food? Don't want that either."

"A communist society," Naesala encouraged. "I understand. I'll look into that."

"And you should teach everyone how to read and write. I'm... still learning. Both the tongues, I mean. Especially the older one..."

"That's a good point. I'll keep it in mind." Naesala nodded. Up until now, it wasn't like they were a lawless nation governed by strength alone... but he had to admit Kilvans had a bad reputation all across Tellius. The pirate raids would have to go... so would the auctioning of goods obtained through said means... hm... work, work, and more work, it looked like.

Vika's eyes widened as she looked at him. "Can you really change Kilvas, just like that?"

Well... he couldn't. It wouldn't happen without a whole lot of his sweat, blood and tears, not to mention the extensive cooperation of the public but...

"Of course I can. Who do you think I am?" Naesala puffed out his chest, pleased to show off, if only for the moment.

"Well... I still have my doubts. But if you really do change Kilvas... if it really becomes a place where ravens like me can be safe... then I'll be sure to visit." Vika said, slipping him a rare smile.

He took in a deep breath, fixed on her face for a few seconds longer than he should have. It would be faces and smiles like this that he would be working for. Faces and smiles like this that would look to him for guidance, for protection. If he failed, it would be innocent souls like this that would pay the price. He...

"Thank you for talking to me about this, Vika," he said, as he rose.

"No problem," she replied, brushing the dirt off her trousers as she did the same, "I know I haven't known you for any good length of time, but... I can see you're a good man at heart. Show me a good Kilvas, King. Goodbye!"

Naesala sunk down to the floor as soon as she was respectable distance away. _This_... was strange, _this_... was not something he was used to. _Positive_ expectations? _Being perceived as a good person?_

He hadn't noticed when Mia had slunk back, lost in his maze of foreign thoughts.

"Looks like that really did a number on you, huh?"

"I wonder whose fault that might be..." he muttered, too drained to put any real malice into it.

"Hey, at least you look like you've figured some things out." Mia pointed out.

"I suppose." He admitted. It was true that he had learned quite a lot from one conversation. On his own, he would never have associated with more people than he needed to.

"It is rather late to ask... but Mia, what made you start talking to me?" he queried.

"Hm? Oh, nothing much. I just thought maybe dueling someone with talons would teach me different techniques, you know? Oh, and we did end up back to back a whole lot of times on the battlefield."

"That's it?" Naesala pressed, incredulous.

"Can't go wrong when you get along, that's what I always say," she said, as if that explained everything.

Naesala laughed.

Mia nearly dropped the sword she was (still) polishing.

"H-Hey, warn a gal before you do that! What's with you?"

"Sorry," Naesala said, still chuckling, hands on his stomach. "I suppose I'd gotten too accustomed to people wanting to get close to me for ulterior motives. And I was so sure someone had told you to get close to me..."

"It's all good if you get a kick out of it," she said, hands on her hips and mouth in a pout, "but to think, even for a moment, that I would act on such villainous motives! It's a crime!"

"Right, right," he dismissed her.

It really was laughable. To think the place he'd come to die at would be where he'd gain new resolve. To think that, even faced at the near-certain prospect of being laughed at and ridiculed by his people, he was the one laughing. To think a human - no, a beorc would have a hand in rebuilding a laguz nation.

It was the season for mirth, he thought.

"Hey, look, it's almost time to resume the march," Mia pointed out to him. Sure enough, he could see the Commander and the half-blood Priestess talking together, probably finalizing details.

"And I still haven't decided on a sword," she fretted. "Mist said she'll take whichever I don't pick, but..."

"Oh, just take this one," he pointed to the longer sword. He'd forgotten it's name already, some sort of diet?

"Alondite?"

"Yeah, that." He waved her off. 

"Hmm... alright, that sounds good. I'll just go give this to Mist, so stay where you are!"

Once more, she took off towards the gathering. Naesala could see those boots the Commander had given her were definitely being put to good use...

He only caught on to what she'd said when it was too late. She was already back and standing before him when it hit him.

"Okay, so what do we do before we start the next fight?" she clapped her hands together.

"We... say the before-battle chant..." Naesala mumbled, as mortified at it now as he had been the first time.

"Excellent! Let's say it together!"

He should have run when he had the chance...

**"Let's... say it... together..."**

"Okay! Okay!" he resigned himself to his fate. Naesala huffed, only relieved no one else was near enough to hear.

Mia began, with Naesala's reluctant voice following.

"Vantage, vantage, give us the advantage! We'll go on a rampage before they can say bandage!"

"A gold star for you! Now let's go, Naesala! Oh, and don't think I've forgotten about those energy drops!"

**Author's Note:**

> mia: so vika how do you want this raven country to be  
> vika: idk bitch, are you always this racist or
> 
> dfjghkdfgh im sorry guys
> 
> but yeah, hope you liked it! i've been trying to get a feel for all the rd characters generally, and im enjoying it so far! i also got the cutest comments on the previous fic, so i pumped this one out while i was high on those. feel free to tell me how you felt about this piece! thanks for reading!


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